INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Denis Leontovich took a job at the regional youth policy agency in southern Russia's Samara region in February 2024.After just a few weeks
on the job, he would resign and leave the country in a matter of hours after he was outed as gay by a federal lawmaker and started receiving
Alexander Khinshtein, who is known for his anti-LGBTQ+ stance, accused Leontovich of being in a relationship with a man and of spreading
Russia have steadily eroded since President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning the spread of "LGBT propaganda" to minors in 2013
Last year, Russia named the vaguely defined "international LGBT public movement" a banned extremist group, putting at risk of criminal
prosecution anyone who has publicly associated with LGBTQ+ lifestyles or displayed LGBTQ+ symbols.Leontovich said he wished to share his
Russia, his forced emigration and his plans for the future.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.MT: Can you recall how you
decided to leave Russia?DL: It all started with a post on local Telegram channels in April, where I became the target of homophobic
At first, I thought it would blow over in a couple of days
Of course, I was wrong.At first, my boss called me into a meeting and I was suspended from public events until the situation calmed down
But in just a few hours, the scandal escalated to the point that it spread across nearly all the local Telegram channels, different local
groups on VKontakte [social media] and regional media outlets
About an hour later, it was in the national media
article on extremism since the so-called LGBT movement was recognized as an extremist organization
So everything happened in just one day and I left.State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein.Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News AgencyMT: Weren't
you afraid even before you received these threats, considering the repressive anti-LGBTQ+ measures that were passed last year?DL: I never
imagined that working in a government-funded institution would lead to such serious scrutiny
I joined the local agency for youth policy in February 2024, working on social projects
My role involved advising young people on grants and social projects they wanted to implement
become a public topic, especially since it had never been an issue in my previous jobs
At work, I was always seen as a competent employee who did my job well
I had never encountered homophobia in my professional life
could be outed, beaten near your home or thrown into a police station and mistreated there
Of course, these are real threats
But while it was important for me to be myself, I never made it a topic of discussion in professional life or at events
It was part of my private life, something I shared only with people close to me
Some people at work might have known, but we never talked about it.MT: How did your colleagues react to the outing?DL: My colleagues at the
agency were compassionate towards my situation
They found it strange because we had good relations
Many of them approached me and spoke to me openly, expressing their support
policy agency in present-day Russia?DL: Does a country, even one like Russia, still need teachers? Do we need people who will educate
This applies not only to education but also to youth policy, as the two areas are closely intertwined and work hand in hand
When I took this job, I saw it as an opportunity to act as a filter, a barrier against the hatred and propaganda that permeate our
country.Throughout my career, I never imposed any political stance on my students
I taught them to think critically
No one has the right to force them otherwise
I always tried to protect students from the abuses that often happen in educational institutions.In my view, even now in modern Russia,
thoughtful choices, then it's a noble cause
because everyone understands the risks of speaking openly about their opinions, political beliefs or affiliations with certain social groups
For instance, some may not support the war but still organize patriotic events in support of it
Others openly reject it and resign as a form of protest
education and youth development
even the smallest actions to resist and fight back.MT: What are your plans for the future?DL: I currently live in France and am in the
process of seeking asylum
Before this, I spent nearly six months in Kazakhstan and it was only when I arrived here that I realized I could feel free and safe and most
importantly that I have my freedom of speech
persecution or those who left for similar reasons
plans also depend on the French authorities' decision regarding my asylum application
Especially given that I seem to have done so much for the benefit of society, and in some sense for the country, trying to make it better
and believing that it can change for the better
Nevertheless, I still see helping others in my future.MT: Do you feel any disappointment in working with people and helping them? You
mentioned earlier that you wanted to be a filter against propaganda in Russia while working with young people, yet you had to leave in the
I had big plans and ambitions
I can only speak for myself because maybe not everyone is ready to be that filter and to advocate for rights and opinions
However, I still see that there are people in our country who are doing small things to make the world a better place
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